According to our data, this Pedigree recipe provides complete & balanced nutrition for the maintenance of adult dogs. In other words, this formula is AAFCO approved.

Pedigree Choice Cuts In Gravy Grilled Chicken Flavor In Sauce is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for the maintenance of adult dogs.

Ingredient Review

We'll begin this review of Pedigree Choice Cuts In Gravy Grilled Chicken Flavor In Sauce with a detailed discussion of the ingredients.

The first ingredient is water sufficient for processing, which is a fairly self-explanatory ingredient.

The second ingredient is chicken, which provides animal-based protein and important omega-6 fatty acids.

The third ingredient is meat by-products. By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, meat by-products contain nearly all parts of the animal which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.

This ingredient is marked controversial because the meat source is not identified. Anonymous ingredients such as meat by-products are typically very low quality additions. The most unpleasing property of this ingredient is that the animal source can contain any mammal, even dogs & cats.

The fourth ingredient is pork liver. Pork liver is an excellent organ meat which provides high quality protein and fat. In addition, pork liver provides many essential vitamins and minerals.

The fifth ingredient is animal plasma. Animal plasma can be a nutritious addition to pet food, however, the source should be specified. In this case, the animal source is not specified and therefore we cannot determine which animal was used to obtain the plasma.

Because ingredients are listed in order of pre-cooked weight, the remaining ingredients in Pedigree Choice Cuts In Gravy Grilled Chicken Flavor In Sauce are not as important as the first five ingredients.

However, collectively they still have a significant impact on the overall quality of the product. Therefore, we'll continue discussing the remaining ingredients in this Pedigree recipe.

Next we have wheat gluten. Wheat gluten is the main protein of wheat. Although wheat gluten is mostly protein, wheat gluten is considered controversial because it significantly boosts the protein content of the product. This is undesirable because plant based protein does not provide the same amino acid profile as meat based protein.

The next ingredient is wheat flour. Wheat flour is produced by grinding uncooked wheat into a powder. In addition to dietary fiber, wheat flour provides various vitamins, minerals, and plant based protein.

Wheat is considered a controversial ingredient because of it's protein content. Plant based proteins degrade the overall protein quality in the product. In addition, many people believe wheat is one of the most common ingredients to cause food allergies or intolerance. However, grains such as wheat are typically low offenders in comparison to certain protein sources such as beef.

Then we have beet pulp. Beet pulp is the by-product which remains once sugar has been extracted from sugar beets. The primary contribution of beet pulp is dietary fiber.

We'd also like to note that beet pulp is fairly controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that beet pulp can promote intestinal health and regulate blood sugar. However, opponents claim that beet pulp is an inexpensive filler.

Moving on, we have corn starch. Corn starch is derived from the endosperm of the corn kernel. Typically, corn starch is used as a binder in kibble.

Moving on with this review, we have natural flavor. Natural flavor is used to modify the foods flavor and increase palatability.

The next ingredient in this review is salt. Salt is an important mineral for both humans and dogs. Depending on the quantity of salt used (which we cannot determine), salt may or may not be a nutritious addition in the recipe.

Our next ingredient is potassium chloride, which is a potassium supplement.

The remaining ingredients in this Pedigree Choice Cuts In Gravy recipe are unlikely to affect the overall rating of the product.

Our analysis of the ingredients show that this product derives most of its protein from animal based sources. This is an excellent property because meat based protein contains all of the necessary amino acids required by dogs. In our option, this is one of the most important properties to judge when reviewing pet food, therefore we believe this is an exceptional product in this regard.

Final Thoughts

In summary, we recognize that this product contains artificial colors and anonymous meat ingredients.

Although the FDA has approved the artificial colors used in this product, they are unnecessary and unhealthy additions. Long term exposure can have serious consequences. See our article on artificial food dyes for more information.

In regards to the anonymous meat ingredients, These are not necessarily always negative; however, they are typically low quality and inexpensive additions. If the particular anonymous meat ingredient is controversial or low quality, it should have been discussed earlier in this review. Otherwise, it is safe to assume the anonymous meat ingredient is an acceptable addition.

The official PawDiet rating for Pedigree Choice Cuts In Gravy Grilled Chicken Flavor In Sauce is 2.0 out of 5.